I believe in using art as a liberating act. I am passionate about social justice, which pushes me to design garments that send a message or draw attention to various cultural disparities. My top strength is communication, and both dancing and apparel design are ways to communicate with the body, which is why I choose these mediums to tell the stories of particular social issues.
Not About Angels is a commentary on racial violence and the trauma it inflicts on black youth. The dance follows a young girl watching the news, where she sees all of these people dying, people that look like her. In her dreams she is dancing with angels, who are these victims. In the end we see that the little girl never wakes from this dream, as she has become an angel herself. Each look is inspired by a specific form of violence against Black bodies, and a specific victim of racial violence. This collection was presented in the This Is Now University of Minnesota, College of Design Apparel Design Fashion Show. (Photography by Bryan Humphrey)
